The present application is concerned primarily with the method of obtaining starch products, suitable for use in instant puddings utilizing a starch such as tapioca starch which is not chemically modified by the addition of any chemicals which react with the starch. In the present process the starch is physically modified by complexing and drum drying the tapioca starch with certain specific additives which act to mimic the characteristics of a chemically modified starch in an instant pudding formulation. Among the desirable characteristics are firmness, creaminess, smoothness, gloss, and a melt away or mouth release effect. The desired objective is to obtain a good quality starch for use in instant pudding without the necessity of chemical modification of the starch molecule itself. Additionally, since no chemicals will be utilized to react with a starch, the otherwise necessary step of washing a starch to remove reaction salts or residues formed during manufacturing is not necessary. Thus, the environmental problem of disposing of chemical effluents is eliminated.